Turkey complains of double standards in EU bid
Thursday, September 30, 2010
BRUSSELS – Agence France-Presse
Turkey feels a victim of double standards in its aspirations to join the European Union, its European Affairs Minister Egemen Bağış said Wednesday, citing the question of visa-free travel.
"At times we really feel there is a double standard," he said. "We don't want any special treatment, but we don't want additional burdens either." Turkey is in "a much better position" than some other countries that have had visa requirements lifted, Bağış said.
Ankara kicked off membership talks with the EU as far back as 2005. But the process has developed at snail's pace, partly due to the impasse over ethnically divided Cyprus but also because France and Germany are wary of allowing the Muslim-majority nation of 75 million into the 27-nation bloc.
The EU, France and Cyprus have blocked 18 of the 35 chapters that Turkey must negotiate for membership, mainly due to Ankara's refusal to recognize the Greek Cypriot majority government in Nicosia. "On the Cyprus issue, now we feel miles" from a solution, Bağış said. "Every proposal we make is rejected and we haven't got any counterproposal," he added.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=turkey-complains-of-double-standards-in-eu-bid-2010-09-30
"Every proposal we make is rejected and we haven't got any counterproposal,"
this dude shouldn't give up his day job...
